Edgar Winter, renaissance man

Rock ‘n’ roll polymath brings his diverse body of work to Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on May 24

Edgar Winter is a jumble of paradoxes. A saxophone-playing, keyboard-wearing rock star. A lifelong jazz and classical aficionado who can belt out the blues and kick out the jams. A Scientologist whose ’70s hits “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein” defined the freewheeling era. A sufferer of albinism who’s lived for years in sunny California. An intellectual who called his first band White Trash. And a relentlessly positive and friendly man whose enthusiasm hasn’t waned nearly 40 years after entering the music business.

Need proof? He began and ended our interview with variations on his trademark “Are you ready to rock ‘n’ roll?” growl, even peppering it throughout a handful of times. Drift also picked Winter’s brain about his current band’s lineup, performing with his brother Johnny, and being remixed by Eminem.

Drift: You’ve got a three-date Florida run coming up this week, Edgar. Do you enjoy playing one-offs and short stints like that?

Edgar Winter: We’re weekend warriors — that’s the way we like to do it. I’m especially looking forward to Florida. I was born in Beaumont, Texas, which is on the Gulf, so it’s like coming home. I’m also coming back to Florida with a full-fledged tour later in the year.

EW: Yes. There’s been a lot of interest from promoters in regards to Johnny, Rick, and I playing together. I’m looking forward to that; every time I play with Johnny it’s a very special and emotional night. It takes me back to good ol’ days when we first started. Johnny’s my all-time musical hero and I look forward to every opportunity to take the stage with him.

Drift: Let’s give credit to your current Edgar Winter Band lineup, too. What’s that looking like these days?

EW: Doug Rappoport has been with me for 10 years, and he’s turned into a phenomenal guitarist. On drums we have Jason Carpenter, who attended Berklee, [College of Music in Boston] and is a great gospel, soul, and funk drummer with a beautiful voice. On bass is Koko Powell, who I first saw with The Spencer Davis Group. He’s another fantastic funk musician who really gets down. We have a high caliber of musicianship, and we like to stretch out and solo, though we try not to take that to the extreme and get too self-indulgent. The main thing is the show is heartfelt — I’m out there doing what I most love. You never know which show will be your last, so you have to put it all out there.

Drift: You’ve explored scores of genres throughout your career. Have you always been a musical polymath?

EW: I started singing when I was four, and our father showed us our first chords on ukuleles. Then Johnny graduated to guitar, and it became apparent that he was going to be the guitar player, so I said, “Well, I’m going to do everything else!” I tried electric bass, drums, keyboards, electric pianos, and organs. Then, in my teens, I picked up the saxophone. My dad played alto sax in a swing band in his youth, and sax was used on all of Little Richard’s and Fats Domino’s songs. That really became my favorite instrument, and probably still is to this day. A lot of people aren’t even aware that I’m more of a sax player than anything.

Drift: Why is that?

EW: Largely due to me being the first guy to put a strap on a keyboard, which was a dynamic, powerful image. That’s fine with me, but I do love the sax. You’re correct about my multiplicity of instruments and always following a number of paths. Throughout my career, I’ve really tried to broaden musical horizons; I’ve never been able to understand why people who love classical can’t appreciate rock, or why people who love country can’t dig jazz. To me, they’re all equally valid musical forms. I love and enjoy playing them all.

Drift: So what can we expect from your playlist on this upcoming tour?

EW: We’ll be doing “Tobacco Road,” the traditional blues song I popularized with my brother Johnny; a few White Trash songs like “Keep Playin’ That Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and “Turn On Your Lovelight.” Also, songs from my latest CD, Rebel Road: “I Got My Eye On You” and “The Power of Positive Drinking.” And then, of course, the indestructible monster “Frankenstein,” our biggest hit, along with “Free Ride” and others. It’ll be a fun-filled, exciting evening with high-energy rock, blues, and Southern-style music.

Drift: Even with all those hits under your belt, are you still passionate about writing and recording new material?

EW: As a matter of fact, I’m speaking to you right now from my digital home studio, where I’m in the middle of a new song. It’s great to be able to come in and put down an idea at any time of day. A lot of times I’ll wake up in middle of night, which to me is my most creative state — that alpha state. Or when I’m drifting off to sleep or in a dream I’ll have a lot of ideas.

Drift: You’ve been involved with the Church of Scientology since the 1980s. Are you still active today?

EW: I still go occasionally. It all started with a CD that I did called Mission Earth, which was based on a series of sci-fi novels written by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. That was a great experience, and I met a lot of cool, motivated people. I recommend the books, and I do go to the Celebrity Center when I have time. But I’m not actively doing anything to promote [the church]. I think religion is a personal thing.

Drift: Tell me about licensing your song “Dying To Love” to Eminem for Tupac Resurrection, a biopic about the late gangsta rapper. That seemed to come from out of left field.

EW: I think that was a brilliant stroke on Eminem’s part. I wrote that song right after Woodstock and it was interpreted as an anti-war song. But to me it’s very personal, and I never would have imagined it in the context of street survival. It turned out to be perfect, though, and I think Eminem really showed imagination with that idea. It was originally recorded as a gospel piano track with a classical string quartet, so that left it open for all kinds of cool rhythms and samples [to be built] in a collage fashion over a beat track.

Drift: Some of your purist rock fans might have cringed, but I’m sure you gained a lot of new ones, as well.

EW: I’d like to thank my fans out there, especially in Florida, from the bottom of my heart for following my career as well as that of my brother Johnny all these years. I can’t tell you how much it means to go out there and do what I most love and still see everybody out there having a great time. Keep on rockin’!

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Edgar Winter Band performs with Flat Black at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 24, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A North, Ponte Vedra Beach. Doors are at 7 p.m. Tickets are $39, or $59 for VIP. For more information, go to http://pvconcerthall.com.